As an avid sports fan, I, like so many others, am troubled by the proliferate use of steroids in professional sports today. That is why I am intrigued by the idea offered by Aaron Zelinsky in this commentary. Essentially, Zelinsky argues that since many steroids and human growth hormones are undetectable using today’s best technology, players’ urine and blood samples should be kept for a period of 30 years and those samples should then be tested in 10-year increments using the best technology available. (For the proposal to work, Zelinsky also notes that players would have have their salaries paid over a 30-year period). His main point is that the threat of future technology may be the only thing that can effectively deter athletes from using those performance-enhancing substances which are, today, undetectable.
I don’t know if this system will work in reality, but it is an excellent example of “jumping the curve,” because Zelinsky well understands that future technology is only going to get better. Somewhat counter-intuitively, however, he has figured out how to use the prospect of future technology improvement in order to improve a situation that is grim today.
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Jack Uldrich is a writer, futurist, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business. He is also a frequent speaker on future technology and future trends, nanotechnology, innovation, change management and executive leadership to a variety of businesses, industries and non-profit organizations and trade associations.
